


Bunny

by BoredomBeckons



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Comfort, Friendship, Funny, Happy Ending, Trauma Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25707859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoredomBeckons/pseuds/BoredomBeckons
Summary: "Tony, nobody wants a ten-foot bunny rabbit. Nobody." Pepper was wearing her 'I'm trying to be patient but I'm ready to snap' smile.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. Giant bunny needs new home

"Tony, nobody wants a ten-foot bunny rabbit. Nobody." Pepper was wearing her 'I'm trying to be patient but I'm ready to snap' smile. Also known as smile 43 in Tony's mental catalogue of Pepper Potts facial expressions "I appreciate that you were trying to be cute and I'm grateful for the effort and Tony I love you, I really do, but it needs to go."

The bunny in question had graced the lobby of his Malibu home for just over a year now and had been the source of several heated discussions in that time. Even Tony was beginning to admit it was kind of in the way. Apparently, Pepper had finally reached her limit.

Tony nodded in acceptance and tried to hide his disappointment. All joking aside he really had thought she would like it. Something about the ridiculously oversized rabbit had awoken some deep-rooted, childlike part of him the moment he had seen it, a sense of innocent wonder and carefree amusement that he vaguely remembered from a time long ago when everything around him had seemed ten-foot tall.

It was that feeling more than anything that he had been trying to share with her when he decided to purchase his ridiculous gift. It would seem Pepper had not experienced the same rush.

"What should I do with it?"

"I don't know" The woman rolled her eyes "Maybe you can donate it to someone?"

"Who?"

"I don't know Tony. Who might want a ten-foot tall stuffed bunny-rabbit?"

"Well according to you, no one" He sniped without malice.

"Sir, Captain Rogers has arrived." JARVIS's calm tone cut through the argument swiftly, shocking both.

"Steve's here?" Pepper frowned, looking to Tony in question.

The billionaire smiled back at her. "I invited him to stay the week. Team building and what-not. Where is he J?"

"In the lobby Sir."

Pepper rolled her eyes, once again reminded of the subject of their prior discussion and Tony grinned back at her in amusement wondering what the soldier out of time would think of the oversized toy.

He didn't have to wait long to find out, as he and Pepper walked brusquely towards the lobby to meet their guest. Tony would afterwards be forever grateful that the distance between his living room and his lobby was exactly 30 meters and that it took him exactly 48 seconds to make that journey.

The couple arrived just in time to see the prim and proper symbol of American virtue run across the room in a neat little sprint and launch himself head first into an unsuspecting giant plush toy.

The rabbit toppled on impact, rolling onto its back and skidding slightly across the tiled floor.

Peppers yelp of surprise drew the attention of the super soldier who now lay straddling the oversized toy.

The billionaire snorted in amusement as the blonde man turned his head to grin at them both, without a hint of shame or repentance for his childish display, simply curling himself further around the soft bunny.

Tony caught the Captains gaze and felt a warmth spread through him as he saw those blue eyes sparkle with delight and that same wonder that had drawn him to the toy in the first place.

"This is amazing." Steve told them with utter sincerity "I want one"

Pepper buried her face in her palm to avoid the smug grin her boyfriend was directing her was as she fought not to laugh.

"You're in luck Steven" She smiled, shaking her head in bemusement "This one needs a home"

…

Bucky shuffled awkwardly into Steve's apartment, still feeling a little groggy and out of place as he worked through years of repressed memories. It had taken months for his friend to convince him to stay with him, urging the former assassin with promises of comfort and safety.

The Soldier took in his surroundings, neat kitchen, worn out table, ugly brown sofa that admittedly looked pretty comfortable, pile of sketchbooks…

Eyes widened, locked on the corner of the room.

"Steve…" His voice came out higher than intended, shock driving away all other thought for a moment as the rational part of his mind struggled to make sense of what he was seeing.

"What the hell is that?!"

He could hear the laughter in the blondes voice when he replied.

"Oh…that's Bunny"

* * *

A/N: set in an AU where the Malibu house wasn't blown up.


	2. Bunny must die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky has trouble accepting Bunny

THUD!

"Goddamn it."

Steve sighed, it's not like the plush was always in a different place or was hard to miss. She just sits in her corner of the living room, mostly out of the way. Bucky could very easily avoid her. He's a highly trained covert soldier for goodness sake; he shouldn't be tripping over anything, let alone giant stuffed toys.

Which is why the blonde was sure he was doing it on purpose.

"I want to get rid of the rabbit."

"No."

"It takes up the whole living room Steve. I can barely move."

"It takes up one corner, you can move just fine. You're being dramatic."

"I keep tripping on it."

Steve didn't even dignify that with a response.

"I can't deal with the stress of bumping into that giant monstrosity every time I want to cross the room. I'm recovering from a traumatic experience you know."

Oh, that's a low blow. Once glance at Bucky's face shows that he knows it, a flash of shame that he is trying to use Steve's guilt about what happened to him to push for his own way. The Soldier doesn't relent though, pushing forward where he thinks he holds the advantage.

"Either it goes or I do."

The blonde grits his teeth in annoyance, forcing down the panic those words invoke. It's a bluff. They both know it's a bluff.

"There's the door." He challenges with a shrug.

The two men stare each other down for a tense few seconds before Bucky really does go for the door, slamming it behind him as he leaves. Steve lets out a huff, forcing himself to relax.

He didn't take his backpack. He's coming back.

It isn't fair, the blonde sulks now that he's alone in the apartment.

What Bucky went through is awful. Unimaginable. Terrible.

Steve wants to support his friend. Wants to do anything he can to ease his pain, and Bucky knows that but…Steve's been through stuff too, hard stuff, and he knows the other man is just being petty because he thinks the rabbit is dumb; and damn it, it's the one thing he has, the one stupid ridiculous thing he had just because it makes him feel happy.

He's not going to be bullied into getting rid of it.

….

To the end of his days Bucky will forever be grateful that whatever twisted, half baked, never quite right version of the serum he had received didn't prevent him from getting drunk the way it did for Steve. It took a fair about to get him there and he had to switch bars three times as bartenders kept cutting him off out of concern for his life but he could do it.

And he did.

He was quiet coming into the apartment.

No matter how drunk he got he was a master of stealth. Like a ninja he giggled to himself. Silently. Because ninja.

His fingers flexed around the switch blade in his hand.

Whilst downing his fifth glass of vodka in the third bar he'd had an idea. The best idea.

The solution to this whole stupid mess.

Bunny had to die.

He was gonna rip its stupid squishy stuffing out.

Steve would be pissed, Bucky knew. Royally upset.

But he would forgive him in the end. He would. And then they would be fine again, best friends forever; and the rabbit would be gone.

Bucky could deal with his friend sulking for a few days, or weeks, or however long he might grieve for a stupid stuffed toy. He was getting rid of it.

He crept across the living room floor. Careful not to trip on anything. Ninjas don't trip.

(Unless they want to.)

"Woah-sh-dagh'mnit!" Bucky was grateful no one was there to witness his mad flailing arms windmilling through the air as he desperately tried to right himself.

Damn it, Steve! Why is the rabbits giant stupid ear laying across the ground where any poor unsuspecting ninja can trip on it? Scratch that why is the whole rabbit laying across the ground? Wasn't it bad enough sat upright in the corner without…wait…

What the heck?

Finally stopping to take in the scene, Bucky was at last able to see why the big stupid rabbit was laying on the ground. Because a big stupid supersoldier was laying on the rabbit.

Deep asleep Steve was curled around the giant plush toy, arms and legs draped down either side of it, blonde hair fluffed up and sticking in every direction where his head was tucked securely under the creature's chin, smiling softly like he was dreaming something pleasant.

Bucky half expected to see a blankie clutched in his friend's hand and a thumb in his mouth. There wasn't of course a blankie and Captain America wasn't sucking his thumb but it wouldn't have looked out of place and that shouldn't be cute, even if it sort-of was.

He looked…peaceful.

Steve never looked peaceful.

Even before everything he had always looked troubled, brow scrunched up in anger at some injustice or other, eyes blazing when he was awake and whole body twisting and jerking when asleep, never comfortable. During the war there had been no time for rest and relaxation, real life being nothing but the moments between one battle and the next and since Bucky had come back the other man had been walking around like the weight of the world was pressing down on him relentlessly. Caught between past guilt and present responsibility to live up to everyone's expectations.

Never had he looked this calm and at ease.

With a jolt Bucky was surprised to realise he was still holding the switchblade, the warm hilt suddenly feeling clammy in his flesh hand. Abashed he placed it back into the pocket it had come from.

Looking down, the Soldier saw Bunny's wide-eyed vacant face smiling up at him and as stupid and ridiculous as it still looked, he found he didn't hate it quite as much right now as he usually did.

….

Two weeks later Steve lay in bed and listened in concern as Bucky jolted awake in the next room, a sharp scream cutting itself off. He knew from experience that going in to check on the other man would only annoy him, with Bucky not wanting to accept comfort when he still wasn't sure how to respond to it.

Steve could only stay where he was and hope his friend managed to get back to sleep alright.

The sound of footsteps leading out of Bucky's bedroom wasn't unusual, sometimes after a nightmare he would get himself a snack or watch TV or go for a run if he wasn't able to sleep again right away; the sound of a muffled thud from the living room however made Steve frown.

Careful not to make a noise he crept out of his own room towards the source of the sound, determined to check everything was alright, he arrived in time to see his friend settling himself down on top of the toppled plush rabbit. A large blanket was draped across them both and an annoyed frown sat firmly in place as Bucky wriggled down into the soft fabric trying to get comfortable.

Deadly brown eyes met Steve's across the room and the frown twisted into a glare. Bucky didn't move from his spot though.

"Not a word."

Steve held back a snort as he turned back towards his own bedroom.

"Goodnight Buck."

"Screw you."

"Sweet dreams."


End file.
